Rafael Diaz Movies

A reflective look at an idealistic young man's involvement in the Spanish Civil War, Land and Freedom combines wartime drama with impassioned political debate. Director Ken Loach, better known for his intimate portraits of working-class British life, begins on familiar turf in the present day, with a teenage girl sorting through the belongings of her recently deceased grandfather. She soon discovers her grandfather's involvement in the Spanish Civil War, and the film then flashes back to the 1930s to tell the story of young Dave Carr, intensely portrayed by Ian Hart. A dedicated young communist, Carr joins an international group of freedom fighters in order to wage the good war against fascism. The experience proves far less heroic than expected, however, as the fighters struggle with poor supplies, a lack of training, and internal discord. The traditional battles and romances of war drama follow, as Carr becomes involved in a tumultuous affair with a fellow fighter, but Loach and screenwriter Jim Allen give equal weight to more philosophical discussions about the nature and fate of socialism. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

In Ay, Carmela, filmmaker Carlos Saura again harks back to his bitter childhood memories of the Spanish Civil War. Carmela (Carmen Maura), Paulino (Andres Pajares) and Gustavete (Gabino Diego) are travelling entertainers, trouping through Spain to perform their act before the Republican troops. Early one morning, the three artistes find themselves in Franco-controlled territory. In mute terror, the captive entertainers witness the deaths of several innocents at the hands of the fascists. Then they are forced to do a show for their captors. Swallowing their pride and hiding their disgust, the entertainers agree to do so. But Carmela is unable to go through with this humiliation: before an assembly a Francoites, she defiantly sings a paean to the Loyalist cause...and in so doing, achieves martyrdom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This uneven historical drama tries but fails to give any insight into the cultural differences between Arabs and Christians in 12th-century Spain. The harem is unattractive and is erratic, not erotic. The feature is further plagued by poor production and lack of a coherent storyline. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Two gunmen chase after an anthropologist on the run in this convoluted, low-budget drama. In spite of several technical flaws in production and amateurish performances, the film shared prize money given by the CIGA hotel chain at the 1987 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Gonzalo (Arturo Fernández) is a local "playboy" type who has landed in jail and is forced to talk one of the inmates, Gines (Francisco Rabal) into protecting him against the rowdier low-lifes in the prison. Gonzalo promises that when he is on the outside in a few months, he will repay Gines for the protection he needs now. Little does he know that the payment will involve hiring Gines as his gardener -- a gardener who would rather run Gonzalo's business ventures than pull weeds. It is the conflict between the meddling, tough-guy prisoner and the sophisticated Gonzalo that causes the most unexpected results in this comedy about the immiscibility of oil and water. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide